The moment the painful grimace on Derrick Rose‘s face was beamed into television sets around the country, the future of the entire Chicago Bulls franchise came into question.
Since going down with a torn ACL on Apr. 28, Rose has seen his team eliminated from the 2012 NBA Playoffs, Miami take the first steps into becoming a dynasty and Team USA take gold without him in London.
Meanwhile he has begun the rehab process and is fighting his way back into the limelight one squat, one drill at a time.
Rose is the key to the Bulls franchise, a concerning fact for Chicago fans as they await the return of their former MVP and superstar point guard.
His injury is difficult for an athlete to overcome, one some players never get over. But at 24, Rose stands a good chance of resuming a successful career if he isn’t forced back to early and is attempting to comfort fans on his own.
With his very own video series on Youtube, produced by himself along with his brother Reggie, Rose is unveiling every step of his journey to get back on the court. Here, we take a look at each video of the series, the fifth of which was released Friday.
The series is titled “The Return” and focuses on five aspects of Rose: his belief, hope, focus, push and drive. They are the traits that have brought Rose to on-court stardom and the ones that fuel the humility makes him one of the most popular players in any sport.
Bulls fans wait in angst, but if Rose can come back healthy, the injury will have only enhanced his character and ability to command respect as a leader. If the videos are any indication of what to expect, the season ahead still looks good for the Windy City.
Episode 1-Belief
Rose begins the video telling us what he was thinking when the postseason began last year and how he felt when his injury unfolded. The episode follows him into the doctors office and training tables of the Bulls medical staff as they start the process of rehabbing his torn ACL.
Episode 2-Hope
Rose discusses his thoughts after the Miami Heat take the 2012 NBA Finals in five games from the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is told by the Bulls’ medical staff to head for Los Angeles to workout at one of the top physical rehab centers in the country. Along with a close group of his friends, cameras follow Rose to the center and their sweet Los Angeles pad.
Episode 3-Focus
Rose discusses the struggle of not playing ball for the first time since he was three-years old and showcases the focus he has needed to possess while going through a grueling rehab process. Remembering the work it took for him to get to where he is, Rose verbally commits to working even harder to take it to the next level.
Episode 4- Push
Chicago’s brightest star returns home and begins to focus on fitness. He runs for the first time since his injury and spends a significant amount of time on the bike. The series then gives us an inside glimpse at the filming of Rose’s latest Adidas commercial.
Episode 5-Drive
The former MVP gets a ball back in his hands and begins working his way through dribbling exercises. Meanwhile, Rose discusses his roots in the Chicago area as a source of his never ending ambition.
